If you want a career in the healthcare industry, but don’t have aspirations of becoming a nurse or doctor, one of your options is to pursue a degree in public health management. This field is concerned with promoting a healthy lifestyle in order to prolong life and prevent disease. There are degree programs at all levels for public health management workers, but whether you’re interested in a bachelor’s degree or would prefer an advanced degree, it is important to look for an accredited program.

Accreditation is done by a third part and used to ensure that the school you attend really will prepare you for the workforce in your chosen field. This is especially important for online programs, and anyone, regardless of experience or skill, can post classes online and charge a fee to take them. That doesn’t mean that the information you’re learning is correct or up-to-date. In addition, diploma mills and scams can still be a problem. Diploma mills are “colleges” that don’t actually require you to do much work to get your degree, as long as you pay for it, and in the online college world, scammers have been known to take your money and disappear. Accreditation ensures that this won’t happen.

So how do you find out if a public health management degree program is accredited?

The government doesn’t accredit college programs, but they do keep a list of the agencies that do, and of the programs that have been accredited. The best way to look for accredited programs in any field is to check this list. Some scams will post that they are “seeking accreditation” or even lie and say that they are accredited, so don’t believe what you read on a school’s website. Always go directly to the source.

From there, you can simply search through the list of schools that have received accreditation to learn more about their public health management programs. Although accreditation ensures that you’ll get a quality education that prepares you to work in the public health field, it does not rate schools in terms of financial aid availability, alumni networking, professional experience of professors, hands-on student interactions, internship options, campus life (or quality of their online space), library assets, graduation rate, ratio of students who have jobs soon after graduation, and other important characteristics. Accreditation only covers the material you’ll learn in the program.

Beyond ensuring that you aren’t scammed, does accreditation really matter? Well, there are programs out there that aren’t accredited for one reason or another, but that do provide a quality education. However, if you don’t already have a degree in public health, it can be difficult to convince an employer that a school without accreditation prepared you for your job. In addition, you may not qualify for licensing by your state if you job requires it, and it is hard to find financial aid if your program isn’t accredited. In short, when you get your public health management degree, take the time to find an accredited program so you aren’t wasting you time and money on education that won’t get you hired.

Public health is the science of preventing disease and promoting health at the population level. Since the late 1970s, public health degrees (specifically the MPH) have evolved from a second degree for doctors and other medical professionals to a primary degree in its own right, with six core disciplines: behavioral science, biostatistics, environmental science, epidemiology, health education/promotion, and health services administration. These disciplines of public health are taught online by the schools listed below.

Master of Public Health MPH - Epidemiology MPH - Intl Public Health MPH - Health Systems Mgmt	Liverpool University: The University of Liverpool MPH programs feature three programs, including epidemiology, health systems management, and international public health. The university features a modular system that allows for students the flexibility of obtaining credits at partner institutions and applying them to the Liverpool program.
Master of Public Health	Walden University: Walden University's Master of Public Health degree program is designed to fill the increasing need for health professionals that are knowledgeable on the development of healthy individuals, organizations, and communities. The program provides a core education in the public health field, uses a real-world teaching methodology, has industry leading professors, and a practical fieldwork practicum.
Master of Public Health MPH - Disaster Mgmt MPH - Health Education MPH - Health Mgmt & Policy MPH/MBA Dual Degree	Benedictine University: The second-largest Master of Public Health program in the state of Illinois, Benedictine University's MPH program features a core discipline of public health with a focus on the needs of today's healthcare industry. Specializations are offered in disaster management, health education, health management, and public health business administration. Courses feature a conceptual, factual, and skill base. Students are given the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills in a professional setting.
Accelerated BS to MPH MPH in Epidemiology MPH in Health Education MPH in Program Development	Kaplan University: The Kaplan University Master of Public Health degree program prepares students for health-care careers in governmental, nonprofit, and private organizations. The convenient, online program teaches students how to analyze and apply scientific research, prepare public health policies, develop health education programs, and review the impact of occupational and environmental factors. Kaplan offers various specializations within their MPH program, including epidemiology, health program development, and health education and promotion
Master of Public Health (MPH) MPH - Health Mgmt & Policy MPH - Social & Behavioral Sci	Capella University: The Master of Public Health program at Capella University prepares graduates for careers in public health management, social welfare, or research. Emphases within Capella's MPH program include health policy and social science. The curriculum explores the behavioral, psychological, and social factors that contribute to the health of populations. Courses include Principles of Biostatistics, International Public Health, and Environmental Health Concepts in Public Health.
Master of Public Health	American Military University: The Master of Public Health online degree program conferred by American Military University prepares students for careers in public health service and policy management with courses in healthcare business administration, healthcare law, and healthcare policy.
Master of Public Health MPH - Dental Health MPA - Health Administration	A.T. Still University of Health Sciences: The A.T. Still University of Health Sciences Master in Public Health Dental concentration is designed for dental professionals curious about dental public health. Dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, and other dental industry professionals are eligible to apply. Graduates work in community health centers, institutes of higher education, non-profit organizations, and local, state, and federal government. Related degrees include a general MPH and an MPA in health administration.
MS - Disaster Medicine	Philadelphia University: The Master of Science in Disaster Medicine and Management at Philadelphia University is focused on the study of terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, hazardous materials, natural disasters, psychological effects of disasters, stress intervention, and disaster research. The program is a partnership between Philadelphia University and the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Albert Einstein Health Network.
MPH - Policy Management	New York Medical College: The New York Medical College Institute of Public Health offers a 45-credit-hour MPH degree in health policy management that will prepare its graduate students for a variety of healthcare careers. Graduates of this program will have thorough knowledge of the different business planning and policy enacting factors of public health.
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